Electric-lighting system



(No Model.)

P. vDIEHL.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

No'. 350,482. Patented Oct. l2., 1886.

Illlllllllllll-IIlllllllll lIIIIHIIIIIIIII Illllll Ill UNITED STATESRfrENT` OFFICE.

PHlLlP DIEHL, OF ELTZABETH, NEXV JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nor 350,482, dated October12, 1886.

Application filed March Q6, 1F86. Serial No. 196,081.

To @ZZ zwwm it may concern,.-

Bc it known that l, PHILIP DIEHL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State o'f New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-LightingSystems, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention consists in a novel system of electrical distribution, moreespecially adapted for electric lighting, that permits of thesimultaneous operation of translating devices which require a continuouscurrent of one direction, and such that are adapted for use withalternating currents from one primary source of electricity. The lattermay be any wellknown or improved generator which furnishes a continuouscurrent of one direction, such as a dynamo-electric machine, a primaryor secondary battery. In the external main circuit of this generator Iplace translating devices which are adapted to be operated by acontinuous current of one direction, such as arc lamps, electric motors,electrolytic vats, Src. Behind these translating devices the maincircuit is divided into two or more branches, and in each of them areincluded the primaries of one or more inductoriums, the secondaries ofwhich include eachv one or more translating devices adapted foroperation by alternating currents-such as incandescent electric lamps,for example. It is not necessary that the inductoriums be separate fromthe translating devices operated by the same. They may constitute anintegral part of the same, as in the case of the induction incandescentlight patented to me March 28, 1882, No. 255,497. At the point where themain circuit is branched l interpose a circuitchanger, which operates todirect the current intermittently and in rapid succession through thedifferent branches, the arrangement, however, being such that thecurrent through the main stem is never broken, as will hereinafter morefully appear. v

Behind the translating devices of the second order the branches of theprimary circuit again unite, and may either return directly to thegenerator, or may have translating devices included and again branched,as before, by means of a circuit-controller, as will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art.

(No model.)

My invention can best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which l have illustrated by diagrams a manner of carryingthe invention into effect.

[n said drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic View of my preferredarrangement of circuits, lights, and electrical generating andcontrolling devices. Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form ofcurrent-controlling device or switch. Fig. 3 illustrates still anotherform of the latter device which may be used in my system.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates an electrical generator, and Cthe circuit of the current produced thereby. The circuit C is divided atany desired point, P, into two or more branches, S S', which reunitethrough the medium of a current-controlling device, F. In one or both ofthe branch lines S S' are arranged lights K, operating by inductionsuch,for instance, as the induction incandescent light patented to me March28, 1882, No. 255,497. The lines S S', it will be understood, arearranged in inductive relation to the secondary circuits of the lamps K.In the main line ofthe circuit@ may be arranged arc lights G of theordinary character. It will be understood that the lights K or G may bearranged in multiple arc or in series, as shown. The current produced bythe generatorA will be continuous through the circuit C asa whole, andwill operate the arc lightsG in the usual manner. lt is, however,necessary that at the points where it is to act inductively, as upon thelamps K in the branches S S', the current should be varied, as alreadydescribed. The function of the controlling device F is to effeet thisvariation of the primary current in the branches S S' in such manner asnot to necessarily disturb or affect the current in the main orundivided part or" the circuit.

It is obvious that the device F may take many forms. In Fig. l it is ofthe commutator form, consisting of an axis, j', conducting portions 4.,arranged at intervals around the axis and rotated thereby, andstationary brushes E E', one for each branch of the circuit, adapted tobear against the conducting portions when the latter come opposite thebrushes. The brushes E E' and the conducting portions of the commutatorare so arranged relatively to each other that before one of the brushesloses contact with a portion, 4, the

IOO

other brush will have been engaged bv one of said conducting portions.The axis f is electrically connected with the generator Aby thecontinuation of the circuit C. It will thus be seen that when one of thebrushes E E is engaged by a conducting portion, 4, of the device Fall'or a part of the primary current will pass th rough that branch towhich the engaged brush belongs, and that when an interval between theportions4 comes opposite said brush the current through that branch willbe interrupted. Such variation of the primary current in any branch,whenthe makes and breaks occur with sufficient rapidity, affects theinduction-circuit and produces the lighting of -the lamps in thatbranch, while, by reason of the arrangement of brushes and commutatoralready referred to,the circuit as a whole will not be interrupted, thusavoiding sparking and permitting the operation of the arc lights G.

In Fig. 2 is shown a controlling device, F,

iny which a reciprocating or oscillating motion of a single conductingportion, 4, effects the lmaking and breaking of the branch circuits.

The width of this portion 4 being greater than the distance between theconducting blocks e e', the circuit C. as a whole, is not broken. It isnot essential that a makeand break should occur in the branches of thecir-l cuit., A partial interruption caused by a change in the resistanceof the branches is sucient to operate the induction-lamps therein. ,Thusa slender strip of conducting mate- .rial may extend over the intervalsbetween the means I can more easily close and break the circuit with thegreat rapidity desirable, the breaks occurring as rapidly as sixthousand per minute with good results. If desired, the

rotating current-controller may be mounted on and carried by thegenerator-shaft, it being 5o insulated therefrom.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a form of currentcontrolling device in which thebranches of the circuit terminate in cups of mercury, m, which arealternately placed in electrical communication with the continuation ofthe circuit by means of a vibratory conductor, F. The terminals of theconductor which dip in the mercury will be of lsuch length that one willenter the mercury before the other leaves it, thus keeping the circuitVas a whole unbroken.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is- A y 1. A system ofelectrical distribution consisting of a branched main circuit charged byasource of continuous current, and including translating devices in itsundivided portion or portions, the primaries ofinductoriums included inthe branches, translating devices in the secondary circuits of theinductoriums, and circuit-controllers for diverting the main currentthrough the branches in succession, substantially as described. h 2. Ina system of electrical distribution, a branched main circuit charged bya source of continuous current, translating devices fed directly by theundivided stem, and translating devices fed inductively by the branches,sub stantially as described.

3. An electric-lighting system comprising a primary circuit branched, asdescribed, and chargedby a generatorof a continuous current, an electriclamp or lamps adapted to be operated by a continuous current of onedirection in the undivided stem, a lamp or lamps adapted to be operatedby alternating currents fed inductively by the branches,and acircuit-controller for diverting the main current through the branchesinsuccession, substantially as set forth. f

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

` PHILIP DIEHL.

Witnesses:

WM. H. INsLEE, J AMES G. GREENE.

